Irrigated and ventilated flower box



April 5, 1927.

S. ELLIS IRRIGATED AND VENTILATED FLOWER Box Filed April 9. 1926 Patented Apr. 5, 19,27.Y

UNITED Y STATES PiIiTENTl orFicarjf j STIIART ELLIs, or rnnnnnrcxsisune, VIRGINIA.

t IRRIGATED ANDVENTILATED rLownR BX.

i Application mea April 9,

The objectief my invention is to provide a flowerbox of novel and attractive design having improved means for irrigating same and means for Ventilating the base of the yflower' box whereby. to*` promote the growth -of plants.

ItV is also an object of my inventioni to provide aj box ofy this kind which can be manufactured conveniently at rela- .pearance in shipping.

tively small cost and which, .by reason'of its shape will prevent the nesting of boxes to` getherrwithk resulting damage to their ap-y I attain these'and,

j other objects of my invention by the device iillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in ,which-w Figure ,l` isa perspective view of ymy invention;

' Fig. 2 is `aperspective.view ofthe ven- I til'ating` plate;

I Like numerals indicate like -of the` several views. j i

,-Fig.y 3 is a longitudinal section` through the center of the box; 1

. \Fig. 4 is a transverse section through the.`

box; and 4 u l Fig. l5` is a detail sideelevation of a modied form of the Ventilating plate. c c

parts in each Referring `to the accompanying drawings,

` I provide; a y rectangular preferably.v metal y, box` 1 having spaced reinforcing ribsorvcor- `rugations 4in ,its sides and ends, the boxV beingpro-videdjwith an overlapping rim 3 approximately rectangular in `,cross section, l.which engages .over the top edge ofthe box; 35

in the manner illustrated inwFigs. l and 3.

The sides of the boX are made substantially vertical so as to prevent nesting of boxes together, as such nesting is calculated kto damage the appearance of the boxes. I provide a pair ofapproximately L-shaped ven-V tilating plates 5 each comprising the verti- `cal portion 6 having thejtaperedvertical corrugation or inwardly arched channel 8A and a horizontal portion having'the'longi `tudinal raised corrugation'7 opening into the said vertical channel or corrugation 8, and having a plurality of transverse raised corrugations 9 opening out of the longitudinal corrugation 7 asshown in Figs. 2and3.` l

` I provide a pairof similar Ventilating plates 5 having their transverse end corru-` ations 9 overlapping each other or I may ave the plate with the end portions shaped as shown in Fig. 5, the plate portions 7 192e. `sei-iai No. 100,931.

overlapping and one of saidportions abut-I ting ,against the transverse section.9.v I

may, of course, also make the Ventilating plates integral, but I have found that they can. be `manufactured at yless 'cost if they ,are made as two separate plates, as shown and described above. I prefer to provide in` each plate 5 a series of spaced slits 10 such as are illustrated in` Fig. 2te permit the water to seep up through the plateinto the earth in the ,bottom of `the flowerbox.

In use the Ventilating plates are placed in the 'box in the manner illustrated iny Figs.

3 and l with the portion 6 of the plate con! tactng with the b oxend 2 and provided with upstanding corrugation or channel 8 into which water may be poured and from whence it may flow through the channel Aformed bycorrugations 9 and l7 `to the earth or gravel at the bottom of the flower box. Water also may seep `through slits 10. The channels 8, 7 and 9 also` provide a ventilating means for the bottom of theflower box.

ffllhis `method ofy watering box plants results in maximum and rapid growth, the water being 4evenly distributed and `evaporating through `the earth and preventing itfrom forming a crust on the top.

What I claim is: l

- l. In a-self-irrigating flower box,`the`com-` bination of a substantially rectangularbox,

va pair of approximately Lfsha'ped corrugated plates having` one of the sides thereof seated in the bottom of the box, the endsof the plates overlapping each other and being. transversely; corrugated at the overlapping portions to provide a selfy locking joint. l.

2. In a self-irrigated flower box, the combination of a pair of approximately L-shaped plates seating vin the bottom of the box, one

ofthe portions of each of said plates being i disposed vertically the other portion being disposed horizontally, the ends ofthe plates overlappingjeach other and forming a selfplates seating in the bottom ot the box, one of the portions ol' each ot said plates being disposed vertically the other portion .being disposed horizontally, the ends of the plates overlapping each other-and forming a selflocking lioint, each plate having a corrugation in its vertical portion, a raised corrugation longitudinal ot its horizontal portion, the vertical portion of each 'plate having a corrugation communicating with the aforesaid longitudinal corrugation thereof to provide a continuous air and water channel from one end ofthe box to the other, anda plurality of transverse raised corrugations opening out of a longitudinal `corrugation for more etcient distribution ot' water.

4. In a self-irrigated flower box, the combination of an approximately rectangular metal'box, a pair of L-shaped Ventilating platesseating in the bottom ot the box and having each a vertical side plate resting against an end of the box, each ot said side plates having a vertical corrugation in the upstanding portion of the plate said corrugationsbeing widest at the top, each ot the Ventilating plates having a longitudinal raised corrugation in the horizontal portion of the plate and each of the ventilating plates having transverse raised corrugations opening out ol the longitudinal corrugation.

5. In a self-irrigated flower box, the combination ot an ,approximately rectangular metal box, -a pair ot L-shaped ventilating plates seating in the bottom of the box and having each a vertical side plate resting against an end ot the box, each ot said side plates having a vertical corrugation in the upstandingportion ot' the plate said corrugations being Widest at. the top, each ot theventilating plates having a longitudinal raised corrugation in the horizontal portion ot the plate and each of the Ventilating plates having transverse raised eorrugations opening out of the longitudinal eorrugation, the ends of the plates having interlocking portions or engaging portions.

6.111 lan irrigated lowe1"box, the vcombination of an approximately rectangular box, a Ventilating plate device extendlng trom one end 'ot the box to the other end `and having vertical portions resting against -one end ot' the box to the other end and having vertical portions resting against the ends of the box, each ot said vertical portions'having a corrugation projecting inwardlj,v towards the center of the flower box to receive water and permit oit ventilation. the device including a longitudinally raised corrugation extending from the vertical cor rugation in the vertical portion at one end ot lthe box to the vertical corrugation in the vertical portion at the other end ot the box, and transverse raised corrugations transversing the longitudinal corrugation and extending to the sides ot' the flower box.

8. ln a self-irrigated tlower box, the combination ot a box ot' the type described, an irrigating plate extending over substantiall)Y the entire area ot the bottom of the box, and resting tlat on the bottom ot the box, said plates having spaced` vertical slits, said plate having a continuous channel to permit ot the passage ot air and water trom one end ot the box to the other and thence to the outside atmosphere to permit ot tree circulation of air through the box, and means at the end ol' the box 'for conducting water to and under said plate to permit it to pass through the irrigating channel.

STUART ELLIS. 

